Donald & Ruth Furman Aquatic Center

Ames, Iowa

In developing the Donald
and Ruth Furman Aquatic Center, designers paid special attention
to maintaining the ecological characteristics of the sight.
Ultimately, only one mature tree was removed in construction, and
all of the plant material outside of the deck areas is native to
Story County, Iowa. Much of the project site has been seeded with a
native mix of grasses and wildflowers to maintain the
location’s biodiversity, aid in storm-water infiltration and
create a wildlife habitat — all while minimizing the amount
of fossil fuels required to maintain the area (compared to the
typical turf grass condition found within municipal
pools).

The aquatic center is
located on remnant pasture land at the edge of the Squaw Creek
floodplain and surrounded by a century-old pine grove. It is near
the geographic center of the city of Ames, so residents have easy
access by foot via regional walking trails, bike or direct
municipal bus service every 30 minutes. For drivers, the parking
lot holds a maximum of only 248 cars. It's built at an elevation
below the aquatic center, minimizing the impact to the site and
preventing cars from blocking views of the surrounding meadow
areas.

Located on remnant pastureland at the edge of the Squaw Creek
floodplain and surrounded by a century-old pine grove, one of the
first challenges in building the Donald & Ruth Furman Aquatic
Center was its location. Near the geographic center of the city of
Ames, residents have easy access by foot, bike or bus, but the
site’s proximity to Squaw Creek meant that operations would
need to respectful of the surroundings. The building’s
physical footprint would need to be limited; storm water run-off
would need to be controlled; and the design would have to blend
into the pastoral setting.

Until the development of the Furman Aquatic Center, the community
relied on an approximately 10,000-square-foot community pool built
in the 1920s. In planning the new aquatic facility, the city
challenged the design team to “do it right” and be
sustainable.

After developing an “environmental team” including Iowa
State University foresters, hydrologists, landscape architects and
Iowa Natural Resource Conservation Service Urban Land Stewards, the
group conducted an analysis of the existing landforms, vegetation
and site features. Using this analysis, the design team sited the
facility at the edge of the floodplain by carving into the eastern
pasture hillside. The project’s topographic elevation would
minimize the risk of flooding from the adjacent river, allow for
patrons to view west into the natural areas of the site and allow
future trail users a vista unencumbered by a large aquatic
facility.

The site’s proximity to Squaw Creek meant that the facility
would need to be flood proof or accommodate flooding. While the
pool deck, basins and pumps are all above the 500-year flood
elevation, the parking lot is designed to flood. Keeping the
parking low minimizes the impact to the site and prevents cars from
blocking views of the surrounding meadow areas.

The decision to use the hillside has created a large west-southwest
facing turf grass slope for sunbathers. This area gets heavy usage
from teens and adults alike and provides an excellent view to the
deck below and the natural areas to the west.

Beyond the careful site design, several other elements of the
project further add to the sustainability of the aquatic center.
Ultimately, only one mature tree was removed in construction and
much of the plant material on the aquatic center deck — and
all of the plant material outside of the deck areas — is
native to Story County, Iowa. Much of the project site has been
seeded with a native mix of grasses and wildflowers to maintain the
biodiversity of the area, aid in storm-water infiltration and
create a wildlife habitat, while minimizing the amount of fossil
fuels required to maintain the area when compared to the typical
turf grass condition found within municipal pools.

Additionally, the project utilizes bioswales to cleanse, cool and
infiltrate storm water that falls upon the site and parking lot.
These bioswales contain more than 100 tons of recycled crushed
glass from Ames’ Resource Recovery Center as a filter media
(in place of sand) to aid in the cleansing of storm water before
infiltrating into the sandy alluvial subsoil.

Completed in 2010, the facility features more than 26,000 square
feet of water surface, three large water slides, a long lazy river,
a 50-meter pool and a generous zero-depth recreation pool with play
structure and family slide.

To enable the facility to blend with its natural surroundings,
colors, materials and forms were chosen for the project that would
work toward this goal. Large elements such as slides and structures
were placed at the edges of the facility to allow for unobstructed
views west to the Squaw Creek valley. Both culture and natural
native stone were used throughout the landscape and architecture to
give a cohesive and natural feel to the constructed elements. With
the exception of the younger children’s recreation pool, only
earth tones were used for water slides.

The aquatic center’s deck is lushly planted with colorful
native Iowa materials and a few non-native ornamentals. Site
architecture takes a Works Progress Administration form with simple
shed roofs and warm stone masonry at its base. The overall effect
is that of a recreation facility that has grown out of the pastoral
landscape and one that is in harmony with its surroundings instead
of one that imposes itself upon an area.

Within the facility, it was important to allow as much visual
access between elements as possible for safe, effective
lifeguarding. To that end, the entire aquatic center is visible
from most vantage points on the deck and from the lifeguard office
on the north end.

Helping reduce wait during peak demand hours, designers created a
unique entry by utilizing multiple mobile point-of-sale kiosks
typically placed within the entry court. At these kiosks a daily
admission user will buy a ticket and walk to the main gate to have
it scanned. Season pass holders can bypass the kiosks and go
directly to the main gate. The goal is to prevent anyone from
waiting more than 10 minutes to enter. If there is a short wait,
the main gate is covered with a shade canopy that has photovoltaic
film sewn into it. This film converts sunlight into power
that pool patrons can use to charge netbooks and cell phones within
the concessions area.

Additionally, with parking located at a lower elevation than the
main pool deck, the calculated entry sequence also builds
anticipation. As guests move closer to the gates, more and more of
the interior of the facility is revealed.

The parking lot holds a maximum of 248 cars. Regional trail
connectivity, abundant bicycle parking and direct municipal bus
service every 30 minutes all encourage alternative transportation
to and from the facility.

Just as it has become part of the landscape, the Furman Aquatic
Center has become a part of the Ames community. It fills a large
recreation void for the community and, in its first season in
operation, accommodated massive attendance with numbers of daily
users approaching 3,000 at times. A typical day will see the
facility open in the early morning for youth lessons, lap swimming
and water aerobics. The afternoon brings children and families from
around Central Iowa. It is proving to be a massive asset to
the community.